A diferrous dithiolate as a model of the elusive H(ox)(inact) state of the [FeFe] hydrogenases: an electrochemical and theoretical dissection of its redox chemistry.

The reduction of the Fe(II)Fe(II) complex [Fe2(CO)2{P(OMe)3}2(κ(2)-IMe-CH2-IMe)(μ-CO)(μ-pdt)](2+) (2P(2+); pdt = S(CH2)3S), which is a synthetic model of the H cluster of the [FeFe] hydrogenases in its inactive state, has been investigated electrochemically and theoretically (by density functional theory, DFT) in order to determine the mechanisms, intermediates, and products of the related processes. The electrochemical reduction of 2P(2+) occurs according to an ECE-type reaction where the intervening chemical step is the loss of one P(OMe)3 ligand. This outcome, which is based on cyclic voltammetric experiments, is strongly supported by DFT calculations that provide additional information on the intermediates and the energetics of the reactions involved.

Oxidatively induced reactivity of [Fe2(CO)4(κ2-dppe)(μ-pdt)]: an electrochemical and theoretical study of the structure change and ligand binding processes.

The one-electron oxidation of the diiron complex [Fe(2)(CO)(4)(κ(2)-dppe)(μ-pdt)] (1) (dppe = Ph(2)PCH(2)CH(2)PPh(2); pdt = S(CH(2))(3)S) has been investigated in the absence and in the presence of P(OMe)(3), by both electrochemical and theoretical methods, to shed light on the mechanism and the location of the oxidatively induced structure change. While cyclic voltammetric experiments did not allow to discriminate between a two-step (EC) and a concerted, quasi-reversible (QR) process, density functional theory (DFT) calculations favor the first option. When P(OMe)(3) is present, the one-electron oxidation produces singly and doubly substituted cations, [Fe(2)(CO)(4-n){P(OMe)(3)}(n)(κ(2)-dppe)(μ-pdt)](+) (n = 1: 2(+); n = 2: 3(+)) following mechanisms that were investigated in detail by DFT.